Bitdefender has revealed a sophisticated malware framework, EggStreme, linked to Chinese APT cybercriminals targeting a Philippine military company amidst heightened tensions in the South China Sea. The malware employs a fileless, multi-stage approach, allowing for persistent access, extensive surveillance, and data exfiltration while evading detection through techniques like DLL sideloading. The attackers exploit legitimate Windows services to establish stealthy persistence and utilize a complex command-and-control infrastructure. This incident underscores the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures, emphasizing a defense-in-depth strategy to mitigate such advanced threats effectively, particularly for nations like India that face similar geopolitical cyber risks.